Australia sits at the crossroads of three oceans. Cold Southern Ocean water pushes up along the southern coastline, warm tropical currents sweep down from the Coral Sea, and the Indian Ocean bathes the west. That combination gives Australian waters more seabird species than almost anywhere else on Earth, with over 90 species recorded on pelagic trips.
But timing matters. The species you’ll see off Wollongong in July look nothing like those in January. Albatrosses flood southern waters in winter, breeding shearwaters pack the continental shelf in summer, and tropical petrels haunt the seamounts off Queensland year-round. Here’s a seasonal breakdown of when to go pelagic birding in Australia and what you can expect to find.
Summer (December to February): Breeding Shearwaters and Tropical Species
Summer is shearwater season. Short-tailed Shearwaters return to their breeding colonies across southeastern Australia in late September, and by December the colonies are in full swing. Around 23 million birds breed in roughly 285 colonies from New South Wales through Bass Strait and Tasmania. On any summer pelagic off the NSW coast, Short-tailed Shearwaters will be everywhere.
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are the dominant species on summer trips out of Sydney and Wollongong, having returned from the North Pacific to breed on offshore islands. Flesh-footed Shearwaters also breed in Australian waters during summer, with colonies on Lord Howe Island and islands off Western Australia. All three jaegers (Pomarine, Arctic, and Long-tailed) pass through, with Pomarine being the most common.
In the north, summer is prime time for the Southport Seamounts Pelagic off the Gold Coast. The multi-day seamounts expeditions push out to the Queensland and Britannia Seamounts, 100 nautical miles offshore, where tropical deepwater species concentrate. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Flesh-footed Shearwaters are common, and the warm Coral Sea waters produce Tahiti Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, and White-necked Petrel.
December is also the month for the Bremer Canyon Pelagic off Western Australia’s south coast. Naturaliste Charters runs dedicated birding departures from Bremer Bay into the massive submarine canyon, where nutrient-rich upwellings draw Wandering, Gibson’s, Shy, Black-browed, and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses alongside Great-winged Petrel and White-chinned Petrel. Bremer Canyon is also the only Australian pelagic location that semi-regularly records Barau’s Petrel.
Autumn (March to May): Post-Breeding Dispersal
Autumn brings transition. Breeding shearwaters begin departing Australian waters. Short-tailed Shearwaters leave their colonies in late April, and the fledglings follow soon after, riding the westerly winds north on a 15,000-kilometre migration to the seas off the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka.
As the shearwaters thin out, other species move in. Off Tasmania, April and May are productive months for Southern Fulmar and Westland Petrel at Eaglehawk Neck. These two species are semi-regular in southeastern Australian waters during autumn and represent genuine prizes for visiting birders.
Giant petrels begin appearing more frequently along the southern coast. Northern and Southern Giant Petrels disperse from their subantarctic breeding colonies, and immature birds in particular push north into Australian waters. On autumn trips out of Wollongong, expect increasing numbers of Black-browed and Shy Albatrosses as they shift into their winter foraging grounds.
The Southport day trips off Queensland continue monthly through autumn, and southerly wind events can push cooler-water species north, occasionally bringing albatrosses as far as the Gold Coast. March and April trips to the Britannia Seamounts have produced New Caledonian Storm-Petrel and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel.
Winter (June to August): Peak Albatross Season
Winter is when southern Australian pelagics really shine. Albatrosses push north from their subantarctic breeding and foraging grounds, and the waters from Perth to northern New South Wales become an albatross corridor.
Off Sydney and Wollongong, the Sydney Pelagic trips between May and October regularly produce six or more albatross species in a single day. Black-browed, Campbell, Shy, Indian Yellow-nosed, Gibson’s, and Wandering Albatrosses are all recorded regularly during these months. Winter trips here also offer the chance to see albatrosses caught and banded on board, providing unusually close views.
Wandering Albatross visits Australian waters primarily between June and September. This is the largest flying bird on Earth, with a wingspan exceeding 3 metres, and winter pelagics off southeastern Australia are among the most reliable places to encounter them.
Southern Giant Petrels peak in Australian waters during winter, with birds (mostly immatures) recorded from June through December. Cape Petrels also move north into southern Australian waters during winter, adding to the diversity off Tasmania and South Australia.
The Port MacDonnell Pelagic in South Australia sits at the boundary of the Southern Ocean and the Great Australian Bight. Winter trips here produce Shy Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel, Blue Petrel, and multiple storm-petrel species.
Tasmania’s Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic has earned its reputation as Australia’s premier pelagic experience, and winter is arguably its best season. Trips here reach the continental shelf edge where chumming draws Wandering, Royal, Shy, Black-browed, and Light-mantled Albatrosses alongside White-headed Petrel, Blue Petrel, and multiple prion species. Sooty Albatross, an elegant dark-plumaged species, is much more common in winter months off Tasmania.
Spring (September to November): Returning Breeders
Spring marks the return of the breeding seabirds. Short-tailed Shearwaters begin arriving back at their southeastern Australian colonies in late September, building to full numbers by November. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters return to their burrows on islands off NSW around the same time.
Shy Albatross, Australia’s only endemic breeding albatross, lays eggs predominantly in September at its three Tasmanian island colonies (Albatross Island, the Mewstone, and Pedra Branca). Spring pelagics off Tasmania can encounter breeding-plumaged Shy Albatrosses in good numbers.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, which breed on Antarctic and subantarctic islands, are present in Australian waters during the austral spring and summer. Grey-backed Storm-Petrels and White-faced Storm-Petrels also become more frequent on spring pelagics off Tasmania and NSW.
The transition from winter to spring creates an overlap window where late-staying albatrosses coincide with early-arriving shearwaters. October pelagics off Wollongong can be particularly rewarding, combining the tail end of albatross season with the first big influxes of breeding shearwaters.
Best Months for Target Species
If you’re chasing a specific bird, here’s when to go:
- Wandering Albatross: June to September, off Tasmania, NSW, or South Australia
- Shy Albatross: Year-round off Tasmania; May to October off NSW
- Black-browed Albatross: May to October, most reliable off NSW and Tasmania
- Light-mantled Albatross: Year-round off Tasmania (Eaglehawk Neck)
- Sooty Albatross: Winter months off Tasmania
- Short-tailed Shearwater: October to April, southeastern Australia
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater: September to April, NSW and Queensland
- Flesh-footed Shearwater: September to April, NSW and Western Australia
- Southern Giant Petrel: June to December, southern Australian waters
- Southern Fulmar: April to May, off Tasmania
- Westland Petrel: April to May, off Tasmania
- Tahiti Petrel: Year-round at Queensland seamounts
- Kermadec Petrel: Queensland seamounts expeditions (multi-day)
- Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: October to March, southeastern Australia
Which Port, Which Season?
Sydney/Wollongong, NSW: Year-round trips. Winter (May to October) for albatrosses; summer (November to March) for breeding shearwaters. Over 111 species recorded from these waters.
Ulladulla, NSW: Year-round. Similar seasonal patterns to Wollongong, with slightly different species mix due to its position further south along the NSW coast.
Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania: Year-round, but winter is the standout season. The only reliable Australian location for Light-mantled Albatross and Sooty Albatross. Summer adds Hutton’s, Fluttering, and Buller’s Shearwaters.
Southport/Gold Coast, Queensland: Monthly day trips plus multi-day seamounts expeditions. The only Australian departure for tropical Coral Sea specialties like Tahiti Petrel and Collared Petrel. Winter southerlies can bring unexpected albatrosses.
Port MacDonnell, South Australia: Year-round. Winter for peak albatross and giant petrel diversity at the Southern Ocean boundary.
Bremer Canyon, Western Australia: December only (four days annually). Book well in advance; spaces are strictly limited.
Planning Your Trip
Australia’s pelagic calendar has no dead season. Every month produces something worth seeing. But if you can only make one trip, winter (June to August) off Tasmania or NSW gives you the broadest albatross diversity in Australian waters.
For the full range of Australian pelagic trips, browse the Australia region page in our directory. And if you’re new to pelagic birding, check out our beginner’s guide before you book.